Rapid Survey of Mobulid Gill Plate Trade and Retail Patterns in Hong
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INTRODUCTION measles, and as a tonic for detoxification and WHAT ARE MOBULID RAYS? neutralizing the body's excessive "heat" [13] Manta and Mobula are the two genera that come Like many other medicinal ingredients in under the Family Mobulidae and Subclass Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), gill plates Elasmobranchii. Mobula rays are also have most probably had a long history of use in sometimes collectively known as Devil rays. Chinese communities, and are known to be used Two species (and 1 possible species under by the older generation. taxonomical review) are recognized under the genus Manta, and 9 under the genus Mobula. Feeding this demand are fisheries for manta and mobula rays which have been recorded all over Mobulid rays are widely distributed around the the world. Up to the time of this survey, targeted world's oceans, found in tropical, subtropical fisheries have been reported in almost all areas and temperate regions [1 ‒ 11]. They are within known Manta and Mobula natural planktivores, meaning that they feed primarily distributional ranges, including: on planktons. Mobulids feed through a process called filter feeding, where water is forced in North America: Mexico [18 - 22] through the mouth and ejected past branchial South America: Ecuador and Peru [23] filters or gill plates, trapping the food for Mediterranean Sea [24] ingestion. Interestingly, this mechanism is Africa: Senegal, Ghana, Tanzania and different from that of other filter-feeding Mozambique [23, 25 - 27] animals, such as the baleen whale [12]. Asia: India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Philippines [23, 28 - 37] These gill plates are what has made Mobulid rays highly (commercially) valuable to humans, Continuously high fishing pressures have put and pushed populations of many manta and Manta and Mobula species under immense threat mobula ray species to imminent extinction. of extinction. The fragility of the species is highlighted by their relatively long lifespan, late maturity and low fecundity. They live as small, fragmented populations, and have predictable mass migrations and feeding aggregations, MANTA AND MOBULA making populations highly susceptible to targeted I N T H E fisheries. Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Singapore, Taiwan and Macau are identified as the five major importers Gill Plate of gill plates in Asia [31, 38, 39]. Other regions with established Chinese communities were also found to have trades in gill plates, albeit in smaller T r a d e quantities [38]. There are currently no known manta or mobula Two Mobulid species, Manta birostris and ray farm fisheries, meaning that the entire global Mobula japanica, have recognized medical supply of manta and mobula ray gill plates and properties, documented in the 中國藥用動物誌 related products must be provided by wild catches Zhongguo Yao Yong Dong Wu Zhi ("Chinese [23]. Whereas Mobulid rays had primarily been Medical Animals") [13]. Gill plates of the species harvested as bycatch in the past, today at least 30 are said to be medicinal in healing abscesses and Mobulid ray fisheries in 25 countries/regions are recorded [40]. Fisheries deploy a mix of fishing Page | 1 INTRODUCTION methods, including driftnets, purse-seines, gill defined and never been thoroughly studied. Both nets [37], traps, trawls and long-lines [23], Hong Kong's and Guangzhou's markets are hence heaving almost entire aggregations from the ocean highly worthy of examination, for it is likely that at a time. data obtained from these markets, such as species composition, sizes, categories and prices etc., can To date, all species of manta ray are listed in be representative of the global trade, and can lend Appendix II of the Convention on International insight into the extent of the two markets' Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and influence on the global trade. Flora (CITES), meaning that their international trades are regulated. None of the Mobula species The present study aims to understand the basics of are currently receiving the same protection by the Mobulidae gill plate trade in selected markets CITES regulations1. of two of the trade centres of gill plates: Sheung Wan of Hong Kong, and Yide Lu and Qingping of CONSERVATION CHALLENGES Guangzhou. The objectives are to: AND HOW TO ADDRESS THEM 1. Assess the availability, size, price and potential origins of gill plates found One of the greatest challenges to the efficient 2. Listing the gill plates' name categories conservation of manta and mobula rays is the paucity of information and specified research. Such a study will hopefully lend insight into the way that gill plates are being sold at the consumer Of the 11 recognized Mobulidae species, 3 are level, and uncover information that may inform listed as Endangered, 2 as Vulnerable, and 3 as future research and conservation measures. Near Threatened according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red More importantly, it is hoped that this study may List of Threatened Species. The remaining 3 highlight the urgency for actions to be taken species are listed as "data deficient". Deficiency towards the proper protection of Manta and in data hinders the development of conservation Mobula species, and for the trade to be regulated schemes, especially for strategies that are species and brought to a level of sustainability. specific. Trade and market research is one efficient way of understanding at least the extent of human use of Mobulid rays. Many existing studies have been conducted in the landing regions of gill plates [38, 41], however only a few have targeted research on All of the the retail level, at the destination markets. largest ray species are Hong Kong and Guangzhou are both extremely important in the global gill plate trade. Guangzhou found under in particular has been named the trade centre of the Family gill plates, taking on the roles of supplier, retailer Mobulidae. and consumer [38, 41]. Hong Kong is a known [36, 43] trade hub for a myriad of dried seafood including shark fin, abalone and bêche-de-mer [42]. For Mobulid gill plates, the exact role of Hong Kong in the international trade has not been entirely Manta (Stan Shea / 1 However, some countries may have established their own BLOOM) local regulations to protect specific species. Page | 2 METHODOLOGY Dried seafood and/or traditional Chinese Eastern Street medicine (TCM) stores of 3 key market Ko Shing Street districts, namely Sheung Wan, Yide Lu, and Kom U Street Qingping, were surveyed between October 2015 Sutherland Street and January 2016. As this survey period Wilmer Street coincided with the Lunar New Year, when the stores become highly popular and frequented by locals preparing for festivities, the surveys were conducted only during the weekdays to GUANGZHOU: YIDE LU minimize disturbance to the shops' daily operations. Contrary to the dried seafood streets found in Hong Kong, most of the dried seafood stores in Each store in all 3 markets were visited at least Yide Lu are congregated in indoor malls. Yide Lu once throughout the survey for conducting: is a main street in central Guangzhou, and is well- known for retail and wholesale stores of dried 1. Face to face dialogues with shopkeepers, seafood [44]. through which enquiries surrounding the manta/mobula trade were made, and More than 800 stores have been counted in Yide METHODOLOGY 2. Visual observations on the gill plates sold at Lu's 5 dried seafood malls, extending to Haizhu each shop. South Road. Unlike Hong Kong, there has been no compilation of comprehensive seafood store lists. Findings for every gill plate category found in stores were recorded after each visit. Each record contained, for the particular category, the genus, size, price, and origin, where the GUANGZHOU: QINGPING information was made available. Qingping is famed as a Traditional Chinese Medicine retail and wholesale centre in Guangzhou. Similar to the case of Yide Lu, stores SITE DESCRIPTIONS are gathered in shopping malls. More than 1000 Traditional Chinese Medicine shops were HONG KONG: SHEUNG WAN & observed in this survey, spreading across 3 malls SAI YING PUN on Qingping Road and Tiyun East Road. As for Yide Lu, there is presently no comprehensive shop collectively referred to as "Sheung Wan" for list for the Qingping area. short Sheung Wan may be the district most densely HONG KONG VS GUANGZHOU populated with dried seafood stores in Hong Entire streets In specified malls Kong. The area is concentrated around Des Ground-level, Multilevel, Voeux Road West (coined "Dried Seafood streetside stores indoor stores Street" by locals), with multiple streets Selling a diversity of Each store specializes dispersing from its centre. More than 350 stores dried seafood and other in selling only a few were recorded and visited in this survey goods e.g. fungi specific goods covering: Relatively large storefront Smaller, booth-sized stores Bonham Strand Use of storage behind Mostly do not have storefront / not all goods storage space behind Bonham Strand West displayed storefront Centre Street Table 1 - comparison between Hong Kong (Sheung Cleverly Street Wan) and Guangzhou (Yide Lu and Qingping) Connaught Road West markets surveyed. Des Voeux Road Central Des Voeux Road West Page | 3 METHODOLOGY MARKET SURVEYS suspicion of storekeepers or cause further disturbance to their businesses. The investigator assumed the identity of a customer to conduct market surveys. During surveys, the number of shops present in each of the three markets was OFFICIAL TRADE VOLUMES noted, and the number of shops selling manta or AND COMMERCIAL VALUES mobula gill plates was recorded. Display conditions: It is not uncommon to find stores FAO DATA keeping part or all of their stocks of gill plates out of view from the storefront. Conversations with The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United storekeepers revealed whether or not the store was Nations (FAO) publishes trade data voluntarily selling gill plates, and the range of categories reported by countries.